Getting the Edge

 

Getting the Edge

6/20/23

  Having worn out my custom 4wt 9’ fast action fly rod I was in need of another. It evidently isn’t a common weight for the length. I like a fast action 4 weight to help cut the wind when dry fly fishing and at 9’ can help with nymph fishing over riffling cross current waters. In my search I found two rods within my budget. Actually this one was less money than I expected and being it is a Gary Loomis American made, I was up for trying it out.

  I’m not all concerned with fancy, sparkling rod blanks and this comes with an un-sanded matte finish blank. The blue thread wraps accent the rod nicely. The fanciest part of the rod is the rod seat. The Flor Grade, Western Style, Portugal cork grip fits nicely in my palm.

 

  I took it out briefly on the first trip casting nymphs and light weighted Woolly Buggers but only caught 2 trout. The most important reason buying this rod was for dry fly fishing.

  The second outing I was fishing the upper West Branch of the Susquehanna River known for wild brown trout in a special regulation trout fishery. I started fishing the slightly stained chalky water with nymphs but that soon changed when I saw the first rise of a fish. I knotted on a small caddis and was going to test the rod dry fly fishing. There was a slight breeze with gusts now and then. The stream was narrow and low at the time but with the stained water I had the edge with the trout not able to notice me. I was casting easily upstream and also across stream and the rod had no problem getting my dry where I wanted. Not used to the quick response of wild trout it took me three misses before I was able to hook set my first trout on a dry fly with this rod.

 

 I was upset that I forgot my net so I did handle the trout with care.

  Overall I had a good day for a few hours catching wild trout on the dry. They came up quick taking the caddis on the moving surface water. 

 

 I was amazed how many trout I got active in the small stream making them rise when there was barely anything on the water. They were hungry no doubt and, which I have done many times before, made them rise!!!

 

  The lightness of the rod in hand and fast action was what I was looking for! It handled the 6x tippet and small caddis dries I was using and had no problem playing the wild trout.

 Well, within a year of use, actually about 5 weeks before the year was up, the rod broke. It was in a rod/reel case on the backseat and when I took it out to use it I found the tip section broken about 3" from the tip. I had used it the day before exclusively fighting quality trout against a quick current and at times casting weighted streamers, nothing too heavy. Whether this weakened the rod and rattling around in the rod/reel case caused breakage I'm not sure. As I said, It was on the backseat of my truck without anything on the case. 

 I explained the situation to the Edge Warranty claim department and they said it was out of the warranty time frame. I purchased it May, 30th 2023. I found it broken April 27th 2024. Edge would not warrant the breakage. Take it for what it's worth. For the cost of shipping and repairs it wasn't worth its value. 

~doubletaper